Andretti's plans ever more extensive, problem for Herta

While Michael Andretti is going full steam ahead with his plans to appear on the Formula 1 grid with Andretti-Cadillac in 2025, Colton Herta is slowly having a problem. The American is having a tough start in the championship and is currently 14th in the championship. Once again, that would not be enough at the end of the season to grab important points for a Super Licence.

Should Andretti succeed in making his entrance into Formula 1 in 2025, it will be a hell of a job for the intended F1 driver Herta to compete at all. Indeed, if he does not accumulate enough points in the current and next year, the seat will pass him by in 2025 as well. As we now know, only the first three spots in the final IndyCar standings yield a nice bulk of points (namely 40, 30 and 20). For the rest, crumbs remain, at least not enough to move towards a Super Licence with great strides.

Teams in junior series

Moreover, points gained expire after three years. As Herta did not progress beyond a 10th place in the championship last season, he earned as much as one point for his licence. In 2020, the American finished third in the final standings, thus earning him 20 points. Those expire at the end of the season. So Herta needs to perform better if he wants to keep serious prospects of an F1 cockpit. Driving a lot of free practice sessions in F1 earns him points, so that would certainly help. But what team will regularly grant the 23-year-old time in a Formula 1 car if they know he is to end up driving for Andretti-Cadillac?

Michael Andretti is aware that through IndyCar, few Superlicence points can be earned. Through Formula 2 and Formula 3, it is relatively easier to get the necessary points and thus the licence. Therefore, Andretti indicated to Racer, to want to set up training programmes in Formula 1's junior series as well. GPblog has asked the F2 and F3 organisers for comment, but they are as yet unreachable.